(23/P001) Trenton – Local governments and eligible nonprofits interested in acquiring open space, creating or restoring parks, completing management projects, or creating inclusive playgrounds are invited to apply for Green Acres grant and loan funding. It has been.
The 2023 funds will be used to advance DEP’s environmental justice and climate change priorities. This will be done in areas identified as particularly adversely impacted and overloaded communities by prioritizing projects that provide fair and meaningful public access and maximize social, environmental and health benefits to the public. increase. These communities are designated as such because they have total stressors higher than the 50th percentile of total environmental and public health stressors. Projects located in or easily accessible from these communities are eligible for new funding incentives.
The Green Acres Program is just one source of funding for the project. The other is the City Parks Program, which is funded by state budget appropriations and will be offered again in 2023.
“From our incredible Green Acres investment in local parks, to our historic investment in local parks, to our historic investment in restoring natural resources across the state, including Liberty State Park, the Murphy Administration I have left that money where my heart is.” Commissioner Latourette said. “This funding for Green Acres will accelerate our efforts to make the environment accessible to all New Jersey residents and bring some long-awaited environmental and recreational benefits to our great state. We will focus on communities that do not share equally in the community that they have to offer.”
“Strengthening DEP’s investment in natural capital and community development supports sustainable economic growth that restores, preserves, and protects New Jersey’s natural, recreational, cultural, and historic resources.” the assistant said 
Commissioner for Community Investment and Economic Revitalization Elizabeth Dragon“This is why it is so important that all New Jersey communities have clean and safe places to gather, play and enjoy nature, all of which contributes to a better quality of life.”
“Green Acres invests extensively throughout New Jersey and continues to ensure that every community in the state benefits from the values of environmental justice.” Martha Sapp, Director of DEP’s Green Acres Program, said: “By providing our communities with parks and open spaces, we are investing in our promise to our residents and future generations.”
Category of project
Eligible projects for consideration for funding include:
Green Acres funding includes:
Get: Purchasing land for active or passive recreation or conservation of natural resources.
Park development: Projects that offer outdoor games and sports, boating, fishing, walking, swimming, biking, picnicking, camping, or interpreting nature.
management: Natural resource enhancement activities on recreational and protected land.
Jake’s law: County available for construction of a fully inclusive playground.
cormorantCity park funding: Available to local authorities for land acquisition, park development and historic preservation projects located in or easily accessible in reverse stress overloaded communities of Urban Aid municipalities.
Applications for both Green Acres and Urban Park funds will be accepted until Wednesday, March 1. Greenacres will host a series of information sessions starting next week that will continue through February to help applicants plan their projects and complete their applications. Upcoming workshops:
- An overview of the Green Acres and Urban Park acquisition project is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Click here to join the meeting. From 1:00 to 3:00 pm that day, park development, management, and Jake’s Law projects will be reviewed and discussed. Click here to join the meeting. Both meetings will provide an overview of the application process and provide a question-and-answer session with participants.
- February will offer two Q&A sessions on all types of applications. The first meeting is Wednesday, February 1, from 10:00 am to noon. Please click here to join the meeting. The second will be on Wednesday, February 22nd from 10am to noon. Click here to join the meeting.
The Green Acres program protects woodland and flood-prone areas, strengthens chronically inundated wetlands, revegetates riparian areas, connects wildlife corridors, and increases upstream flood attenuation potential. Expand, promote wildlife and incorporate green infrastructure into park design.
In preparation for the application process, the Green Acres Program invited local governments and nonprofits to a series of stakeholder meetings in September to discuss new funding opportunities and propose changes to application, eligibility, and project management requirements. did. Based on these conversations recorded on the Green Acres program website, Green Acres has provided additional guidance on the application form and extended the application period.
Because the number of project applications typically exceeds available funding, the Green Acres Program only accepts funding requests from new applicants or applicants who have made significant progress in an open project and are following Green Acres rules at the park. Consider. Green Acres reviews and ranks the applications received and sends a list of projects recommended for funding to the Garden State Preservation Trust. The Trust forwards the approved list to the State Legislature for allocation.
The Green Acres program recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, making it the oldest ongoing program of its kind in the country. Together with public and nonprofit partner agencies, the program has protected more than 720,000 acres of open space and provided funding to develop hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities statewide.
For more information on the Green Acres program and these exciting opportunities, please visit www.NJGreenAcres.org.
Follow Commissioner Latourette (@shawnlatur) on Twitter and Instagram and follow DEP on Twitter (@NewJerseyDEP)
Photo Page 2: Courtesy of Suburban Consulting Engineers, Inc.
